Case Number 10808

CORPSE BRIDE (BLU-RAY)

The Charge

"Young man -- learn your vows!"

Opening Statement

Perhaps one of the most anticipated titles to be given the Blu-Ray
high-definition treatment, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride was burdened to live
up to some very, very high hopes. After initial BR releases proved to be
afflicted with compression artifacts, filling ardent supporters with the dread
that their chosen HD format might not live up to its hype, this early offering
from Warner Brothers stepped up to give the much needed sigh of relief. But, as
good as the standard definition release looked and sounded, will this Blu-Ray
release warrant an upgrade in your Blu world?

Facts of the Case

Matrimony by musket -- that's the situation pallid and plaintive Victor Van
Dort (voiced by Johnny Depp, Secret Window) finds himself in, sort of.
His meddling parents (voiced by Tracy Ullman, A Dirty Shame, and Paul
Whitehouse, Finding Neverland) are anxious to climb the social ladder out
of their fish merchant circles, and have found him an eligible bride in neighbor
Victoria Everglot (voiced by Emily Watson, The Proposition). The
Everglots (voiced by Joanna Lumley, Absolutely Fabulous and Albert
Finney, Big Fish) themselves are desperate to see this wedding come to
pass, having mishandled their finances to the point of impending poverty and
thereby needing the cash flow the Van Dorts would inject. Although Victoria is
eager to wed, Victor is introverted and uncertain, unable to recite his vows
under the pressure of a rehearsal ceremony presided over by the imposing Pastor
Galswells (voiced by Christopher Lee, Sleepy Hollow). Banished to learn
his vows before the next day's actual ceremony, Victor staggers through the
nearby woods and ultimately delivers his proclamations to perfection.
Unexpectedly, his mock professions of love work to raise a mysterious dead bride
from the Netherworld, who gleefully accepts Victor's promise and whisks him to
the underworld. And while Victora, the Everglots, and the Van Dorts seek out the
wayward Victor, the young man himself is panicked to return to the land of the
living and escape his unnatural union to the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

The Evidence

Perhaps Tim Burton truly is a genius, if not of creative spark than certainly
of marketing prowess. Corpse Bride is yet another chapter of Burton's own
gothic reality brought to the big screen. To look at this film, you'll see
design and narrative elements from practically every other work of his that has
gone before. To that end, Burton has been selling the same product over and over
again. To most, this would be an irk-raising predilection that would incite an
unleashing of unbridled ire upon the unconventional filmmaker. The difference
however, is that Burton imparts undeniable charm in his work that subdues such a
critical onslaught. Corpse Bride, conceptually, looks every bit the same
as The Nightmare Before Christmas, and even leverages many situations
from the live-action Beetlejuice. But the sensitivity that's breathed
into Burton's dead world of the Corpse Bride works to give it the same sort of
naïveté that has endeared Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to
generation upon generation of adorers. Here is where Burton succeeds in his
ability to deftly re-purpose and repackage his core creative ideas as if he
himself were a child still struggling to communicate his unique state of mind;
and his appears to be a story the masses will eagerly pay for, time after
time.

But this isn't to say Corpse Bride is a rip-off; banish the thought.
In fact, the film gains immediate points with its familiar style, one that has
shown audience appeal over Burton's celebrated career. And, just like The
Nightmare Before Christmas, this picture successfully weaves Burton's
macabre settings with the irresistible allure of the stop-motion
"puppets" that have fascinated audiences for decades -- and still do.
For this, credit not only Burton's twisted visions but also the impeccable
stop-motion artistry on display here, led by co-Director Mike Johnson, Art
Director Nelson Lowry, and a team of impressively skilled animators. The
painstaking process of stop-motion has never been questioned in terms of effort
required, but has often been scoffed at a bit for its quirky results. Here,
thanks to a perfect blending of the technique, advanced puppetry, and an
incredible photographic style from DP Pete Kozachik, Corpse Bride emerges
as a work of art that is beautiful to behold. Burton, therefore, scores big
again with his usual material...and that's just fine.

If you're fond of Corpse Bride, and have been since the theatrical
and DVD releases of the film, then the matter now turns to that of this
particular Blu-Ray release and whether it possesses the qualities that merit
another purchase of Burton's work. In short -- yes, it does. Warner Brothers
wisely utilized the VC-1 codec when mastering this 1080p resolution
high-definition disc and the results are simply stunning. Truly a bona-fide
"reference quality" presentation, the image is razor sharp with
details that simply must be seen to be believed. The textual surfaces of Ian
Mackinnon's exquisite puppets are realistically rendered in a way that you
believe you could reach forward and touch them. The same can be said for the
excellent sets, giving to reason to believe you could touch the icy surface of
the frozen river and it would feel smooth as glass. The only element that
prevents the image from appearing fully dimensional at all times is the muted
color scheme utilized for the Land of the Living sequences, those being veiled
in a cold blue filter, thereby softening the potential "pop" that the
Land of the Dead sequences inherit from the livelier lighting design. This is
nitpicky, to be certain, because Corpse Bride is among the best
high-definition transfers I've seen. But in regards to the coloring, this
transfer delivers mightily with a well-saturated palette that, as vibrant as it
can sometimes be, never shows hints of ringing or blooming. And those wary of
purported reports of the "grainy nature" of the Blu-Ray format will be
pleased to know there is no grain present here.

To be fair, I must note that Corpse Bride certainly benefits from the
controlled environment inherent to a stop-motion animation setting. Live action
films naturally contend to control the unpredictability of their organic
environments, while CGI projects must work to seamlessly blend their ultra-slick
compositions with live action elements; in both situations, high-definition
transfers can call attention the inconsistencies often suppressed by
lower-resolution masters. This is the good and the bad of the advanced format
and, therefore, the new challenge to filmmakers and DVD authors who can no
longer rely upon technical imprecision to mask content imperfections.

As far as the audio goes, well, this disc again scores top notch with the
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX mix (delivered at 640 kbps). From start to finish,
the entire soundstage is completely alive with action. Credit the sound
designer, Martin Cantwell, for making the aural aspects as characteristic as the
puppets themselves. Here, you'll enjoy an experience that sways the audio from
side to side, back to front, in a way that suits the exaggerated images
perfectly. Therefore, expect the clever use of crescendo, echo, and diffusion to
make deepest use of the surround channels, succeeding in stretching your
soundstage beyond the confines of your fixed speaker locations. The dialog is
well represented, mostly within the center channel yet as frequently redirected
around the room, and never becomes difficult to interpret (the sole exception
might be the lyrics of the rollicking musical number, "Remains of the
Day," which is a bit difficult to discern the first time through). All
told, this Blu-Ray disc represents the format in stellar fashion and deserves a
look and listen if you've yet to indulge yourself.

As for extras, you'll find the same collection of goodies that graced the
two-disc DVD edition (the details, therefore, won't be repeated here). But, even
though these bonus features -- and they're all quite good, especially the
isolated score from Danny Elfman -- are part and parcel the same as the previous
release, it's good that they're included to make this Blu-Ray edition a complete
offering by its own right. The missed opportunity, of course, is the lack of any
interactive features that have been advertised as the difference maker inherent
to the new HD formats. Nonetheless, that shouldn't be considered a fatal
omission here.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

If anyone has reason to oppose the forwarding of the high-definition formats,
either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD, let them screen Corpse Bride first, then speak
or forever hold their peace.

(silence follows)

Closing Statement

It is hereby pronounced that Corpse Bride makes for the perfect union
of fantasy creativity, stop-motion animation, and high-definition technology.
All present are highly urged to see this disc for themselves, while they still
inhabit this Land of the Living.